Thursday, June 4, 2009

PRINTS

I created these two in a Sandy Maudlin class a while back. Can't remember how long ago. The original painting is done with white gouache and watercolor paint applied thickly to the gold-gessoed watercolor paper. Then I wet a piece of Arches hotpress paper and laid it down over the painting, rolled it a bit with a brayer and peeled it off and got this. Two for the price of one!

I am taking cookies I baked to my first day in a new watercolor class (still with Sandy but with a different bunch of artists on Thursday). Something I learned in grade school: always take goodies the first day so the other kids will like you. So that's what I'm doing! I should make a good impression on anyone who likes cookies and isn't diabetic! And I might just get back to that unfinished flamingo painting today or maybe I'll do another print like this - it was pretty easy.

Yesterday was the watercolor society meeting so I'll have to work on the minutes this afternoon. Then today class. Then tomorrow a printmaking session with Marilyn B. A busy art week for me :) I hope you are having a creative week.

The cookies went over well, Candy and Deb :) The class was full of lovely people, too. I worked on the Frisson of Flamingos today and then when getting tired of it and unable to correct a place in the green (that dreaded green!!!), I turned back to the prints and reworked something on gold gessoed paper for a printing later.

I began my journey with watercolor painting in April 2003, taking weekly lessons for six years before I realized I needed to move on to explore on my own.

I admire the work of so many artists; my sidebar is full of artists who inspire me every day. I also love the freedom of Shirley Trevena, the delicate touch of Ted Nuttall and Hazel Soan, and the power of Mary Whyte. I enjoy visiting art blogs, reading art magazines and watching art DVDs to further my art education and to simply enjoy the beauty that is being created around the world in watermedia these days.

"If you have a burning desire to create art, you will lean into the flame of that desire, rather than shy away from it. You may get burned, or you may enjoy the glowing warmth of success. Whatever the outcome, you will not be able to withstand the pull to create something meaningful, beautiful, and lasting."